The Shadowgrip's effect Part 1
by WhenToothlessWrites
Summary: *SEQUEL TO FLYING TO NEVER STAND STILL* The Grey Remorse has finally found a new home. And apparently, he's no longer alone. A shadow lurks in the dark and the gang find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Can they recover what has been stolen? But what happens when, one by one, the riders go missing? Why do they suddenly vanish? What threat are they facing? What does it want?
1. Chapter 1

"HAHAHAHA" Tuffnut laughed.

"HERE WE GOOO!" His sister, Ruffnut followed in.

Barf and Belch shot through the sky in a blur of toxic green, as one of the heads released its famous gas.

Snotlout who flew camly on his Monstrous Nightmare, turned around on his warmed up seat just to see imminent danger, four crazy heads flying towards him. "Ahhh! Turn turnturnturn TURN YOU MUTTONHEADS! We're gonna cras-" He screamed.

"WE KNOW!" The twins shouted in unison. Their Hideous Zippleback spun uncontrollably and would've hit the Nightmare if Snotlout hadn't swerved at the last minute like he did.

The two-headed green dragon surpassed the red one's previous place, leaving it an authentic green inferno. They did a couple more pirouettes and then started flying again in a stable course, joining the rest of the group.

"Ohhh we're bored-" Tuffnut mumbled, his elbow resting on one of Belch's horns and the hand of said arm supporting his face. The other hand polished the dragon's second horn in a slow, slothful movement.

Belch instinctively released some sparks and the gigantic cloud of gas left behind them as an impossible-not-to-see track immediately exploded in a LOUD, ENORMOUS... KABOOM!

"Sooo Booored..." Ruffnut muttered.

All the other riders stared with wide eyes at the explosion that for a long moment turned the whole sky orange.

"But that doesn't mean you have the right TO ALMOST KILL ME!" Snotlout complained, waving his arms hysterically in the air.

"You said it all Snotlout. Almost." Hiccup commented sarcastically from Toothless, while grinning discreetly.

Snotlout opened his mouth in shock. "Wha- Oh so now it works like- FINE!" He crossed his arms angrily.

"Ohh, don't be like that Snotlout. They didn't even GET to kill you." Astrid joined in.

"...Shut up Astrid..." Snotlout mumbled. "This is all HIS fault anyway!" The Jorgenson accused Hiccup, pointing an accusatory finger at the boy.

"We've talked about this...!" Hiccup groaned from the Night Fury's saddle.

"And you made it pretty clear..." The Jorgenson started. "You're a dull, ONE-LEGGED VIKING!"

Hiccup bustled, carefully glancing at his prosthetic leg working Toothless' pedal.

It was still sore from the infection he'd faced not many days ago. It was itching, it hurted and was extremely uncomfortable. He couldn't walk without limping and it was impossible to hide it although he tried to mask it the best he could: he didn't want to scare his friends anymore- they had had quite the scare by thinking he was dead for a week. That was just enough.

Oh, did he mention that flying was affected? Yeah... if walking was hard then controlling a whole mechanism with your hurting foot- or stump, if you prefer it- was everything but pleasant.

Astrid watched him from Stormfly, concern filling her eyes. She watched him struggling to change the pedal's position, the uneasiness he'd tried to hide when Snotlout mentioned his left nothing, the fight to stay focused on the horizon.

"Why are we at this again?" Tuffnut asked.

"Humpfff... weren't you listening?!" The blonde complained from Stormfly.

"I don't know, I wasn't listening. It was Ruffnut's time to do that." The male twin replied.

"It was?!" His sister exclaimed.

"Humm, yeaaah... I told you so." Tuffnut said.

"Oh, I probably missed it."

"How?" Tuffnut asked.

"I wasn't listening. But really, why are we at this again?" Ruffnut finished.

Fishlegs groaned and turned his attention back to the Book of Dragons he'd been reading during the trip, obviously trying to ignore the twins.

Hiccup rubbed his hand on his face. He didn't really want to explain it again to the Thorstons but what choice did he have.

"We're going to check on several islands like we've been doing for the...hummm... I don't know...LAST 6 HOURS TO FIND THE STUPID DRAGON THAT ALMOST KILLED HICCUP!" Snotlout blurted, being faster than Hiccup. " On other words, he has an obsession."

Hiccup face palmed.

"It's not an obsession Snotlout" Fishlegs started, raising his nose from the book. "It's just a matter of making sure that Grumpy found a new home. I personally would prefer NOT to see it again- Meatlug gets the chills just by thinking about him- but his home island was destroyed remember?"

"Oh I remember. The same island that almost KILLED US ALL!" Snotlout fumed.

" There you are again with the almost my friend." Tuffnut started. "Never had YOU witnessed such a marvelous moment of destruction in your life."

"Never." Ruffnut nodded. "It was beautiful."

Astrid felt the need to just jump on top of those two muttonheads. It had been ANYTHING but beautiful.

Hiccup squeezed Toothless' saddle in a tight grip when he changed the pedal's position once again. His throbbing head also not helping but still joining to the party. Sure, it was better than three days ago when he'd arrived "back from Valhala".

He glanced at Astrid right before looking back at the horizon in front of them again. He then realised the look in her eyes; she was still worried. He turned back to her, the blonde silently studying him with a pair of deep, thoughtful blue eyes; as if she could read every single feeling he was having.

"Hey." He said, giving her two thumbs up. The girl laughed, which made him feel much better and for a second everything was ok. For a second Astrid stopped worrying about him, for she'd found so funny his careless, sudden turn, giving her those two thumbs up with that simple "Hey" out of the blue.

"Hiccup." Fishlegs called. "I think we arrived at the other island."

Hiccup couldn't have been happier to hear those simple words that meant landing and NOT working the pedal.

You see, it'd been him. It'd been Hiccup who wanted to go look for the dragon. He didn't know why, all he knew was that he NEEDED to. Ever since he'd woken up with Grumpy by his side that he couldn't help but feel... connected with the Grey Remorse. He just wanted to make sure he'd found a proper home, because even being deadly, the two-coloured dragon's species was also on the brink of extinction.

He looked at Toothless. On the brink of extinction just like the Night Fury's. And all because of bad men like Viggo, Ryker and the Dragon Hunters. Hiccup didn't blame the Grey Remorse for infecting him. No. He blamed the ones behind it, the ones who so mischievously had used the creature's natural instincts to try and kill him. Grumpy... he'd been just another victim, like Hiccup.

The other riders (especially Astrid cough) had tried to convince him otherwise. They had tried to "put some sense into his iron skull" like Snotlout'd said. They said it was still pretty early and that he should rest and recover ( they didn't need to inform him of it though for Hiccup sure felt what his body'd been through) but once he'd put and idea on his head, no one nor anything could pull it out.

Call it obsession over the dragon, like his cousin had over a thousand times now, Hiccup prefered to call it... Being Sure.

"See Snotlout, this might be the island we're looking for. You can finally rest." He played.

"Yeah like I'm going to rest on a second Remorse Island. No way! Not at least with a deadly, rash, crazy, bad-humoured dragon on the loose thank you."

"He said might." Astrid stated, a sarcastic grin growing on the corner of her mouth. Gods, I'm passing way too much time with Hiccup, she though. " In case we don't find Grumpy you can always fly back to the Edge and leave us doing the work."

She knew very well the answer, they had already had this conversation anyway and Snotlout had refused to let them go without him to be there to keep an eye on Hiccup and the other on the black and white dragon. Not that he cared of course...

"Pfff yeah, start dreaming. Like I'm one to turn my back to a challenge. Besides it's just a big, Titan-Wing-Big hunk of scales with cold eyes..." He mumbled, his voice wavering with fear and uncertainty by the end of the sentence.

"...Long, sharp talons. Made of pure venom..." A male voice mumbled from behind in a spooky tone.

"...A tremendous desire to kill... Can you feel that?" A female one joined in.

"It's the smell of flash and blood." The male continued. "It can smell the fear, and once he detects it, it's just a matter of seconds before it..."

"ATTACKS!" The twins yelled, Barf and Belch flying right behind Hookfang so that both heads could literally touch the Jorgenson.

Speaking of him. "AHHHH!" Snotlout screamed, flying away from the twins. "I'm not scared I'm not scared I'mnotscared." He mumbled to himself so that the others couldn't hear it.

"Psssssst." Hiccup called, making signals with his right hand.

"Haaamm... What?" Tuffnut questioned. "What was that? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!"

"SHHHH!" The Haddock boy repeated.

"ME NEITHER! WOULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!?" Ruffnut shouted.

"Shhhhhhhhhh" Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and Snotlout repeated.

"WHY MUST THEY SPEAK IN RIDDLES!?" Tuffnut complained. And he couldn't have complained louder. The male Thorston's voice reaching the highest volume of the whole conversation.

Hiccup put two of his fingers between his eyes. Wow, he was doing that a lot lately. "Oh for the love of Thor..." He mumbled. " Come on we've done this for what? 20 times now? Just keep quiet. I think I don't need to remind you of what this dragon does the first time he faces... Well, everything. And if he's in this island we sure don't want to testify it again now, do we?" He explained in a just high enough whisper for it to be understandable.

"Oh that! You could've said it earlier H!" Ruffnut screamed back.

All the other riders sighed just has they started their way down.

Out of all the islands they'd selected for possible new homes for the dragon, this one was the biggest. Really THE BIGGEST.

They had decided to make a list of all the islands they knew about with characteristics that resembled the Remorse Island. Er... Ex... Remorse Island this is. Those were the ones that could offer the Grey Remorse the heat and humidity the dragon needed so much.

Anyway, out of 22 islands that could work, some of them barely fitting in their list because they weren't exactly the most perfect ones for the effect, this one was the one that looked the most like the old, currently inexistant Remorse one.

It was circular on one side, with long, sunny beaches so close to each other that they looked one and the same. On the other side a large, dense forest took place. The high trees with their swollen tops made it impossible for the youths to see the ground. Then in the middle...

"It's HUGE..." Astrid mumbled, shaking her shoulders to get rid of the cold, nervous shiver that ran through her spine. She was reminded of the other volcano's destiny and by the looks of discomfort on the others' faces they were reminded as well.

Hiccup was the only one who didn't seem bothered by the tall formation on the place's centre.

Then again, he had probably fallen unconscious the second the gang left Remorse Island and was way too detached from the world to even realised that the freaking volcano was freaking crambling apart on top of him.

Another shiver ran all of her spine, up and down, down and up at the thoughs of the massive destruction that this one would cause if it was destroyed. It was LARGE, with capital letters and TALL with capital letters as well. Actually, it was so tall that it's top couldn't even be seen for it literally disappeared in the clouds.

Clouds that had probably been formed around the top because of the warmth the volcano emanated.

Toothless was the first dragon to land as always, the leader was the one who told his team if it was safe or not after all.

A few seconds after them, all the other dragons landed, glad for finally being able to rest their wings.

Meatlug fell on the ground, starting to snore right there. Fishlegs found it adorable. Barf and Belch, Hookfang, Stormfly and even Toothless didn't look very different though.

Astrid barely waited for her dragon to come to a stop on the safe ground. As soon as she could, the blonde Hofferson ran towards the Haddock boy.

Hiccup dismounted his black dragon and as soon as his bad leg touched the sand under them, he started going down.

Astrid launched forward just in time to pull him to a hug and break his fall, which gave Hiccup the time he needed to place his prosthetic better and gather some strenght to support that limb of his.

"H-How..." He started, trying to find the words to ask her how on Odin's beards she had preddicted his fall.

Astrid gently pushed him up by his upper arms, slowly pushing him away from her so that she could face him eye to eye.

"Easy... It's called being attentive." She replied, now securing him by his shoulders and letting go of him. "That and lets say I've got quite the train with all that happened."

Hiccup felt ashamed, he really didn't like people worrying over him. Toothless passed his head under his best friend's arm and the auburn boy patted the Night Fury's head.

"In fact, we all had." Astrid finished. A peaceful moment followed and the two stared intensely at each other, sweet grins on their faces.

"Hey love birds, hate to break it to you but I'm not wating around to find out if this is the right island. I would like to get done with this while we're young, please." Snotlout blurted, still speaking in a low volume.

The young riders of the Nadder and the Night Fury immidiatly blushed with the 'love birds' on the begining of his sentence.

"Right..." Hiccup whispered, scratching the back of his head. He and Toothless started walking (read: stumble) to a well visible cave, digged on the volcano's side. It seemed like a good enough starting point.

It was a big, dark cave. More portions on the big.

"Well if our not that little flying friend moved here, than he changed from a hut to a palace..." Ruffnut murmured, agape and staring at the size of the scary volcano above them.

Hiccup signed for them to stop and slowly approached the creepy cavern's mouth. If Grumpy really was there, then Hiccup would have to teach the dragon some decour ideals...

He and Toothless peeked the entrance and for their terror or great relief (they didn't really know), a spiky dark tale barely stood out in the darkness.

Was it sleeping? Oh please let it be sleeping... Hiccup though.

But the gods seemed to really hate him.

Just has he took another slow step, the creature's motionless form stopped being... well, motionless.

"Is he there?" He heard the others ask from right behind him, however Hiccup froze as a red eye shone inside the cavern.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked from behind.

But Hiccup had frozen solid. His eyes widened as the creature launched forward, blind in it's natural instinct.

He had one thing on his mind: That wasn't Grumpy and it wasn't that asleep.

The black and white dragon flew forward in a flash, his long, venomous talons at the ready.

Hiccup's world turned to slow motion and he didn't even recall earing his friends' shouts.

Yep...Tuffnut couldn't have complained louder when they arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello hello hello HELLO!**

 **I'm at a place called Fanfiction heyooo!**

 **Come on come on let's read**

 **There are feelings to keep and GIVEEEE!**

 **OK sorry I was being random and awkward again but... *Hiccup's voice* That's who I am. I see a perfectly fine moment and just have to *stangles air with both hands so that it looks like I'm opening a bottle* MAKE IT ODD**

 **OK OK now seriously (or at least a little bit *wink*) I'm just happy and do you know why? Huh huh? THAT'S RIGHT! THIS WRITER OVER HERE WILL HAVE TIME TO POST MORE NOW DURING 2 WEEKS YASSSSSS XD**

 **I'm not sure if I'll manage to post everyday but I'll update much more that's for sure.**

 **OK that's all, enjoy chapter 2 of Flying Point! XD**

* * *

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked after the boy had come to a stop. The blonde looked to the others right behind her, the twins tilting their heads to the side like a small, curious child would. Fishlegs twirled his fingers nervously, like he always did. Snotlout... well, he looked anything but satisfied as usual.

Far off in the distance, Astrid could make out the forms of their sleeping dragons -all of them but Toothless of course- and gasped silently. They'd been so aprehensive since the first moment they set foot - or paws- on the island that the walk to the entrance of the cave -that had looked so short- had in fact been so LONG. But then again, the island wasn't properly that small...

Being so far away from their dragons -especially sleeping, exausted ones- could be fatal but the girl didn't exactly have time to truly aknowledge that for unintentionally her head had already turned back to Hiccup, who after those few seconds, was still frozen. As motionless as a rock. "Hiccup...?" She called uncertanly.

His shoulders were tense and his hands were closed in such a tight grip that his knuckles had turned completly white. The edge of his nails digging in the skin that was his palms.

She wondered why. In brief seconds, literaly short seconds, she wondered why. Why? Why had he stopped? Unless.

That island...

Bingo.

Time seemed to slow down as a red, blood-red eye, started it's way towards Hiccup and she barely heard her other friends screaming. She was in such despair to have Hiccup safe that she missed the second Grey Remorse apparently appear out of nowhere and setting them as it's target. Fishlegs and the twins jumped to the side with a pure scream of fear as the dragon flew as fast as an arrow towards them, talons at the ready. Snotlout was about to do the same but...

"HICCUP!" Astrid called in pure terror. He wasn't moving out of the way. Why wasn't he? Why? "HIIIICCCCUUPPP-!"

"ASTRID!" Snotlout shouted, tackling her. Just as they fell to the sand under them, a big, bright and dark figure flew at high speed right above them. Astrid closed her eyes by instinct, as the figure almost touched her back. If Snotlout hadn't tackled her... Well, there had gone Astrid Hofferson...

It flashed right above them, inches away from their clothes and skin. The Grey Remorse stopped abruptly after missing its target, the red eye loosing it's brightness in utter confusion.

He knew these humans? But from where? Should he attack or not?

His questions received answer as soon as it took a glimpse of the second Grey Remorse. Said dragon was about to hit another human... NO. Not just ANY human.

The beautiful greenish blue iris of his white side got more noticiable as realisation set in. That... That was...

...THE human.

And THE human was about to get killed or at least infected again by Grumpy's mate. He could NOT let it happen. The human wasn't a threat, he wasn't dangerous, there was no need to attack. And his friends neither. They'd helped Grumpy get free from the bad men...

Back with Hiccup, things hadn't gone exactly... good since the begining. As soon as Grumpy 2 bolted in his direction, Hiccup found himself stuck.

His legs refused to move out of the way of the angry, deadly creature. His eyes only widened in pure shock, his irises growing bigger as if to prove that it was happening again. The dragon's talons were once again aiming right at his chest and Hiccup forgot how to breathe. Because how do you breathe when you know exactly what'll happen and that it will be anything but pretty?

He got himself ready for the hit, closing his eyes and biting his lip but...

It never came.

He never got hit. He never got hit!

He never got hit?...

His eyelids opened in a flash, confusion breaking his shock as Hiccup turned his head to the side just in time to find his answer. Ohhhh and he sure hated the answer, the heart-breaking dam answer.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup cried. The Night Fury had collided with the mad dragon, and the two spiecies were still rolling on the ground, trying to untangle their bodies.

Several spines had gotten stuck on the sand, proof of the two dragon's collision.

"Toothless!" He called again. The Grey Remorse was by now, back on its paws and obviously mad for the not so cosy situation. The black dragon on the other hand, only growled painfully which made Hiccup's heart ache. If the Remorse was up by now and the Night Fury was not... Than it meant that..

"TOOTHLESS NO!" Hiccup literally cried. He started running as if there was no tomorrow, ignoring his now painful, screaming of a stump.

Unfortunatly those abrupt movements caugh the wild Grey Remorse's attention.

However Hiccup couldn't have cared less, if anything, he ran faster towards his fallen dragon.

Hiccup stumbled and fell on his knees right next to Toothless. "Hey-y buddy. Hey Toothless." He said. Toothless cooed painfully once again, shoving his head back in discomfort. "I know, I know... Easy..." He mumbled, trying to hide his panic. He knew what it was to go through that infection and he couldn't let it happen to Toothless. He just couldn't!

Astrid and Snotlout stumbled as they got up. The hit had left them dizzy and it took them a while to get back on their feet. Fishlegs and the twins ran to help them, pushing both the Hofferson and the Jorgenson up.

"Thanks Snotlout. Guys." Astrid said, letting go of Fishlegs' arm.

"I though there was only ONE Grumpy!" Snotlout yelled.

"Bu-b-but there was! The one who infected Hiccup!" Fishlegs tried, way to dizzy for having, just like the twins, jumped to the side in order to not get hit by the original Grumpy's attack.

Between their dizziness a scream was heard. They turned on their heels just in time to see Hiccup falling next to Toothless.

"HICCUP!" They all screamed, starting to run towards the sixth member of the group and his dragon.

Astrid caught a glimpse of the Grey Remorse, that had left the cave in the begining of that mess, bolting towards the auburn haired boy. She ran faster and faster and faster. But...

..there was no way she could reach him in time. And their dragons were apparently too far away to reach them in time she realised, as one of Stormfly's screech seemed to be approaching and yet very distant.

"HICCUP WATCH OUT!" She warned.

The boy turned his head just to find the black and white beast almost on top of him. There was no salvation for him now, he realised.

Hiccup laid on top of Toothless. If he couldn't escape the dragon's talons now, then he could at least protect his best friend for if Hiccup moved out of the way, Toothless would be the one getting hit... again. This way he could at least protect his buddy.

Astrid sprinted as fast as she could, starting to leave the others behind. She just had to get there. She just had to get there. She-

Too late.

"NOOOO!" She screamed on top of her lungs.

The attacking dragon jumped and started to fall towards the boy and his dragon. Hiccup's back being the first hitting point.

Then, a miracle ocurred. Grumpy tackled his dragon mate just as the second one was about to wound the Haddock with its talons. With a THUMP both dragons landed on the ground. They got up, being Grumpy the first one to do so and blocking the other Grey Remorse's path to Hiccup and Toothless.

Astrid rushed forward, passing both the Grey Remorses who seemed as if they were having a discussion.

She kneeled next to Hiccup, frenetically checking him out. The boy was on a fret, he'd grabbed some gauze from Toothless' saddlebag and was now rolling it around one of Toothless' paws.

"Hiccup." She called. "What happened?" Hiccup didn't even bother answer as he started to roll all the gauze even faster.

"Hiccup!" She called again. He didn't react, his hands moving all by themselves.

"HICCUP!" She grabbed him by his shoulders just to see his watery green eyes in complete terror.

"What happened?" She asked again, although she had a pretty good idea.

"Tooth- Toothless got hit. As- Astrid, I can't let him go through what I went." He started, proceeding to give a knot on the gauze so it could be properly tight.

Toothless got up, resting in a sitting position. He bumped his head against Hiccup's as if trying to reassure the boy but ended up by twisting his nose as an uncomfortable wave of pain came from his tale.

Hiccup lowered his gaze, facing the tailfin of his beloved dragon. Oh no...

"I need the cure... Now! It's already starting!" He despaired.

"But I though it took at least a day for the effects to show themselves!" Ruffnut shouted right behind them.

THUMP

"Well, it must act quicker on dragons since they're the gratest threat to the Grey Remorses. A boar or a human are not like dragons, they can't exactly fight a Grey Remorse and... resist per say." Fishlegs informed. "The venom must take the same time to kill its victims but it probably has faster symptoms on dragons so that they can't be much of a trouble to be dealt with."

THUMP

"Yeah but it's not like we can go and just yank a spine out of the -apparently- two bad humored dragons over there!" Snotlout joined in.

THUMP

"There has to be a way!" Hiccup cried.

THUMP THUMP BLANKKKK

It was all his fault! He should've moved to the side, he should've paid more attention, he shoudn't've panicked. Hiccup should have been hit again, not Toothless.

THUMP

That and he knew very well what was going to be the consequence for Toothless.

His missing tailfin. The tailfin Hiccup had made him lose.

THUMP THUMP BLANKKKK THUMP

It all resumed to Hiccup-

THUMP

"Would you please stop it!?" Hiccup glared harshly at Tuffnut. "DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOCK THAT SPINE ON YOUR HELMET TUFFNUT?! WHAT'S KNOKING A SPINE... ON YOUR... GOING TO... help? A SPI- A SPINE!" Hiccup's face grew features of hope and his worried forest-green eyes shone.

Of course the spines that had fallen from the Remorse's tale when he collided with Toothless! They were all over the beach!

"Oh this...?" Tuffnut wondered, looking bored. "They don't even hurt that much and they're not that special. I mean I could jab a bunch of them on Ruffnut's butt and there would still be plen-"

"Hey!" Ruffnut shouted, tackling her brother to the ground, obviously offended.

Hiccup ignored the Thorstons which wasn't something new. At all.

In a rash, clumsy movement Hiccup jumped to his feet, almost knocking down Astrid in the meantime. Impossibly fast he stumbled towards one of the fallen spines laying on the thin sand and with pale, shaky hands grabbed it.

He didn't know if it was going to work. He didn't even know if the antidote lost its functionality if it got seperated from the dragon's body for a long time, like these ones had.

But he had to try. And he hoped it to work.

No.

He knew it would work. It just had to. What choice did he have?

* * *

 ***Cries* I'm so bad to them! Why? Why me?**

 **I: Rainbowwws**

 **Inner I: Make them suffer!**

 **Poor Toothless and Hiccup... Well, there will be a lot to be sorry that's for sure. *Wink* But nothing new here right? XD**

 **\- Sorry for any mistakes as usual but my pc broke -_- and now I have to write on the phone which takes me more time and is also harder since I'm clumsy...-**

 **Don't really have a thing to say now but... Ehh screw it. I just want to say baiii and until next chapter which I'm pretty sure will come out soon! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

***I slowly rise from my couffin* *deep music plays in the background* You though you wouldn't see me again? Think again!**

 **PLEASE READ: Hey guys so I'm sooo sorry but this was not my fault really. I'll try to be quick and explain why I've been gone. I'd never abandon a fanfic half done nor without warning ya. I hate it when people do that but basically the week after I last posted I had an accident like the floor got in the way and I ended up by breaking my good arm and opening both my wrists.**

 **Easy to guess is that it has been hard and I couldn't really write. However time as passed aaand I took my arm out of the sling although my wrists are still open.**

 **So if you could forgive me I think we can keep going on this story. Slower bc It's still hard to write but I already manage. Thank Thor!**

 **Okay that's it. A THOUSAND SORRY'S PPL.**

 **I EVEN MADE A LONGER (I think hmmm) CHAPTER JUST FOR YA!**

 **Ignore the errors please, my phone is by now my tool. My pc broke some time ago.**

 **Enjoy! XD**

...

None. He had absolutly no choice.

"Okay buddy this is gonna hurt a little... Do you trust me Toothless?" Hiccup asked. The Night Fury bumped his head against Hiccup's chest and obviously nodded.

"Okay then... Okay." Hiccup mumbled, grabbing the dark blue spine with both his hands. "Okay..." He reajusted his hold on it as if it made everything much more simple and easy. "Oookaay now..." Well, it didn't.

Wouldn't he be hurting Toothless even more? He was about to jab a FREAKING SPINE on one of his best friends. His first best friend. His first FRIEND. His... Buddy. Wasn't it wrong?

No. If he didn't then Toothless would have to go through everything he ever went and just like his rider, missing a part of his body wouldn't be pretty. No. He couldn't let him die.

But...

...he couldnt hurt him even more either.

"Excuse me." Astrid said, her voice a surprisingly sweet and calm tone yet determined, at least after so many okay's and now's from Hiccup.

The blonde, obviously not satisfied with what she was about to do, yanked the blue piece of hope from her best human friend's incertain hands and put herself in his place. "Just make sure he doesn't eat me alive okay?"

Hiccup, still dumbfounded and with a persistent fad of mumbling okays and nows, nodded. Toothless shot a very indignated and ironic glare at Astrid that meant nothing more than "yeah I could eat you if I wanted, but do you really think i'd wast my teeth on you?"

With no more delay Astrid walked over to the black dragons tailfin and-

"GRRRRROOOOWWWRRRR"

"Toothless!"

-well, did what Hiccup was supposed to have done a while ago.

Toothless shot to a standing position and started shaking himself, running around and unsheathing his teeth, bringing his tail to them to try and remove the source of the new pain.

The other riders had to move here and there in quick moves for they would take a tail or a paw to the face if they didn't. Blessed quick reflexes...

"Wi-will he be okay?" Hiccup asked, now on his fee- foot and following Toothless' circles with his green eyes.

Toothless bolted towards them and licked Hiccup in the face. Twic- no. Actually, many times.

"Here you have your answer." Fishlegs answered from behind, a relieved grin messing his voice up.

Astrid pulled the spine out of the dragon's tail and Toothless forgot Hiccup. Instead, he turned around, blowing air through his nose right at Astrid'd face, leaving her blonde bangs a mess. After showing his displeasure, the dragon decided to show his pleasure and thankfulness for what she'd done too. This is...

By...

Licking her face.

"Hahaha!" Hiccup laughed, scratching the dragon's neck. Toothless purred. "Glad you're ok bud..."

"Yyyaaaaakkkkk" Astrid complained, shaking her hands in sudden moves to try and get rid of the drool she'd gotten off her face and hair. "How do you even wash this thing off?!"

Hiccup laughed as he watched her getting up from the ground since Toothless had thrown her to it.

She waited for his answer and so, when the auburn haired boy understood that she REALLY was waiting for an answer his smile faded. He assumed a serious and certainly bored expression. "You... Hummm. I don't. It doesn't... wash... out."

"Yaaakk!" The blonde blurted. "WAIT WHAT?!"

"Welcome to my world..." Hiccup mumbled under his breath, turning around to face Tuffnut who started jumping.

"Oh oh! Yak where?!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"OVER THERE!" Ruffnut shouted pointing to her side. Tuffnut started looking in that direction, turning his back to her. Big mistake. Ruffnut kicked him on the butt.

"Owww! My butt! It hurts! Wait-DO IT AGAIN!" The male Thorston shouted.

Snotlout face palmed. "That's not a yak you muttonheads! That's not even A thing. Those are two dragons." He sighed.

"Two Grey Remorses Snotlout." Fishlegs corrected. "Oh oh." Realisation set in. "Oh Thor..."

The gang backed away a little, reuniting almost back to back. Their dragons had now joined the team but they were more exhausted then ready to fight. Still, they each stood behind their riders ready for the next move.

The Grey Remorses were now side by side, their big heads facing the youths.

"Hiccup, what do we do?" Astrid asked, her voice above a whisper and careful for it not to change.

"IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION?! WE GET OUT OF HERE!" Snotlout replied in a harsh whisper, his will to yell boiling inside.

"I hate to be the voice of doom... as always... but thee dragons can't exactly fly now Snotlout..." Fishlegs informed.

"We touch it then?!" The twins asked in sync.

"Nooo..." Fishlegs cried.

Snotlout was about to snap at them, his patience long lost. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be back on the Edge sleeping under the warm sun. But because of his idiotic cousin, he was now about to die, just like the whole team and dragons, by the talons of two maniac dragons AAAAND under the shadow of a volcano.

However, he's attention was drawn to Astrid.

"Where do you think you're going?" She whispered madly at Hiccup who had apparently started moving forward, eyes locked on the dragons.

Hiccup looked down at her hand grabbing his wrist, afraid to let him go.

"I'm going to train the second one."

"See?" The twins finished. "H's the one who knows."

"You're going to stay still right here, that's what you'll do." Astrid replied, ignoring the twins' manifestation.

"Astrid, it's ok. Their left eyes are greenish-blue."

"Yeah and the other ones are red." Snotlout growled. "No way you're doing it. I didn't fly all the way here too let you be stupid again! You almost got Toothless killed!"

Everyone shot him a glare.

"It's okay guys, really. When their green eyes are shining then they don't mean any harm." He said, swallowing, once again, on his miserable cousin relationship, Snotlout's remark. "Besides, I think Grumpy has already recognized us."

"What are you even talking about? Their eyes don't just shine!?" Snotlout complained.

"Does this mean he's crazy?" Tuffnut asked on Fishlegs' ear.

Fishlegs looked at him and then shook his head. "What?! No! Hiccup's not crazy!" He said, re-thinking his own words to try and convince himself that he was right.

"Ohh you're no fun..." Ruffnut muttered, kicking a small rock with her boot.

Hiccup let his wrist slip through Astrid's thin fingers and started walking forward but was stopped when instead of his wrist she got his hand.

"Hiccup I-" She started.

"-'ll wait here while Hiccup does what he has to do because everything's gonna be okay." He answered, a half genuine, half forced, small smile growing on his face. All the dread from the Toothless incident behind it.

He knew Toothless would be okay but still... It was hard to imagine the possibility of something happening.

Astrid arched and eyebrow, as if she was about to protest, but ended up sighing. "Just be careful though."

"Aren't I always?" Hiccup played.

"I think the word for how you usually are is reckless." She stated with a not amused face.

"Rash." Snotlout continued.

"A magnet for trouble." Fishlegs added.

"And crazy!" The twins finished.

"First: Fishlegs, that's not even ONE word. Second: Yeah but I'm also right! It'll go as planned, this time. It has to, I don't see any other ideas after all."

They all stayed silent as Hiccup scanned them all over. He was right. As always.

They didn't know what to do.

"Just what I thought." Hiccup finished, turning around to face the Grey Remorses before they acted first. As it appears, the two dragons had walked all the way to him during the group's discussion. Hiccup barely had time to stop dead on his tracks, replace his prosthetic back on from where he'd taken it when he was going to step forward and swallow a surprise scream.

"HIC-!" Astrid started only to cover her mouth with her own hands. What on Odin's beards was she doing? If she screamed she could scare the dragons and turn Hiccup into a poisoned, Dragon Rider skewer.

And she really REALLY didn't want to turn Hiccup into a poisoned, Dragon Rider skewer.

Toothless unsheathed his teeth and claws, forcing himself to stay put and not jump at either Grumpy or Grumpy 2's throat. But that didn't stop him from getting ready to.

Meanwhile Hiccup barely had the courage to breathe as the new Grey Remorse stared right at his eyes. Eyes with eyes.

Grumpy had backed off since he already knew Hiccup and wanted to let his mate understand that The Human meant no harm to them. And neither did his friends.

Hiccup could almost feel the dragon searching deep inside him for the first, minimal reason to end him right there. And so, with a deep breathe, Hiccup tried to show the dragon the minimal reason for it to trust him.

He heard Fishlegs mumbling something about him doing the hand thing and just like he'd done with Toothless...

...He smiled...

...And then started to motion his hand towards the beast's big yet elegant head. Straight at his nose, between the two glowing, different orbs.

He wasn't sure how the poisonous dragon reacted because he faced the floor the whole time, breaking their intense eye contact. One way or another, and after a long and tense moment between all the gang, he felt it.

Thankfully not sharp teeth cutting another one of his limbs nor venemous talons digging deep into his chest to release their deadly liquid, but the cool scales leaning in against his palm.

"Oh." He muttered, realeasing a long breath. It had worked, even with such an unpredictable, clever dragon like this. "OH!"

He looked up from the ground and stared at the dragon with amazement. Still, he could tell it didn't trust him 100%.

He petted the dragon's nose with both his hands and smiled. Dragons really were amazing creatures. And this two weren't an exception.

He was slightly aware of his friends' celebration as his mind wandered in thoughs. What had Snotlout meant by 'their eyes don't shine'? He could swear that the beautiful mix of blue and green of the white scales' side seemed so much brighter now...

He was about to turn around when Toothless bounced over him, bumping his head against Hiccup's chest. The boy hugged the Night Fury's head, scratching it on his buddy's favourite places.

He could sense the recently tamed dragon retreating to meet with Grumpy as he let go of Toothless.

And then... Astrid happened. She slammed herself against him, throwing her arms around his chest and neck. He was took by surprise but soon (and not without blushing of course) replied the hug, hugging her by her waist. "You did it, Hiccup! You actually did it!"

"Just like I said I would." He answered. "But you didn't seem to want to believe me." He finished, arching an eyebrow and grinning.

"Don't" Astrid released herself from his hold (also blushing) and punched his arm. "Push your luck, Haddock! It could very well have gone wrong, and you know it!" She deadpanned.

Hiccup massaged his bruised arm, swallowed an OWW, pouted and then scratched his head.

"So what are we supposed to do now that you didn't die?" Snotlout asked. "Hookfang doesn't look like he could fly that much... Not that he's tired! But even a great warrior needs some time to himself."

"And Meatlug's wings are about to fall out" Fishlegs said.

"I think ours is broken." Tuffnut commented. Barf and Belch let themselves fall to the ground in pure tiredness since they saw no more threats. "VERY broken." Ruffnut finished.

"Well, it would be wise to camp in for the night." Hiccup agreed, watching Toothless' tongue hang out of his mouth.

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked him, studying the deadly pair of flying lizards close behind. "With them?"

"Why not? As long as we don't mess with them, they won't mess with us." Hiccup answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sooo, we're staying?" Fishlegs asked nervously.

"Yes. Now come on, I'm STARVING!" Snotlout shouted, walking towards another side of the beach.

"Don't fear my blond, bulky friend..." Tuffnut started, lying one hand on Fishlegs' left shoulder while Ruffnut did the same on the boy's right one. "If it comforts you I have to say that our big dragon friends over there would certainly start their meal by you." He said, leading the Ingerman after Snotlout.

"We would have plenty of time to run don't you worry." Ruffnut joined in.

Astrid heard Fishlegs' cries as her friends walked away. His voice vanished in the distance. And that was when she realised she was still hugging Hiccup, and Hiccup was holding her tight too.

Memories from the worst week of her life flooded her mind. The week where he had been "dead". It still haunted her and now, after all this dangerous moments...

"Hey." Hiccup called her. "Are you okay?"

She looked at his sweet, green eyes. "Yeah..."

But Hiccup knew her too well, it was almost has if he could see right through her. "We're all fine, Astrid. And IT won't happen again, okay? I promise." He said letting go of her. "You hungry?"

Astrid smiled. "Very actually." They started walking towards their friends, shoulder with shoulder, with blushing cheeks and stupid grins.

...Astrid was just happy that the Remorse didn't turn Hiccup into a poisoned, Dragon Rider skewer. None of them, actually.

...

 **Yeeeeeeeee XD**

 **Another one is done! I'll try to hurry up with the next one but as you got to know up there, It's kinda hard to write and actually do stuff with these stupid wrists -_- and I think I'm getting sick with this cold.**

 **I seriously hope you liked it and pleeeeeassse let me know what you're thinking of this until now. I don't really know. So please be honest and you can also suggest a small moment you wanted to read about, I'll try to put it here even with the plot basically done.**

 **Tell me your thoughts and until next chapterrrrr XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**HEEEELLLOOOO THEREEE BUDDIES**

 **Here I am no I didn't leave, you won't get rid of me DAM!... I know sorry, I suck at staying away for long and never coming back. Don't have much skill on the last part XD**

 **Ok so I took ANOTHER LONG WHILE I KNOW but that's because I'd been thinking (ouch...dangerous...) And got a different idea for this story, not that different but a big little.**

 **So that's it! I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS ONE, IT HAS BASICALLY ASTRID'S THOUGHS BUT BELIEVE ME, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT ONLY DELAYS THE STORY BUT THERE ARE A FEW TOPICS HERE THAT WILL WORK OUT IN THE END XD**

 **ENJOY AND PLEAAASEE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, BE HONEST, IT REALLY HELPS ME IMPROVE AND MOTIVATES. GIMME SOME IDEAS TOO!**

 **READ ON!**

 **Rtte**

"And...And then I- HA! Wait wait, and then I turned at the yak an- and called him... GOBBER! BWAHAHAHHA!" Tuffnut exploded in laugh. "Get it? Because... Be- because GOBBER LOOKS LIKE A YAK!"

"Bro- you should really start working on new ones..." Ruffnut warned, since no one had actually laughed.

"And horror stories too..." Snotlout added, sounding bored as usual.

"What's wrong with yak-rats?" Tuffnut asked.

Snotlout swallowed an yelp. Why did he have to talk about those scar- stupid rats the size of yaks? Or were they... Yaks the size of rats...?

"They're probably getting old..." Fishlegs mumbled from the male twin's left side.

The gang was camping in for the night and a beautiful fireplace was lighten up in the middle of the circle of riders.

Tuffnut hadn't stoped telling jokes and ghost stories the whole night so, by the time being, the youths were already tired of it. He, however, seemed to be having a great time.

Fishlegs was reading a book as usual for him. Snotlout was leaning against Hookfang, arms behind his head in a relaxed pose.

Ruffnut seemed impatient.

Astrid, just like her other friends were with their own dragons, was leaning against Stormfly's head- who had fallen asleep just like all the other dragons.

Hiccup was right beside her since Toothless and Stormfly had fallen asleep almost head to head.

The blonde had taken a look at what he was drawing and by the looks of it, it was a Grey Remorse to upgrade the Book of Dragons with. Astrid shook her head and smiled. Always thinking about dragons.

Dragons.

Dragons...

Dragons?

Dragons!

She looked at the cavern now smaller because of the distance between their camp and the volcano that, even that far off, still looked giant, enOURMOUS, GIGANTICUS.

She swallowed, looking back at the fire. She was aware of a single pair of different coloured eyes watching them- Grumpy 2 didn't seem very restfull with the riders there but since Grumpy apparently deemed them clear of harm and Hiccup did that magical hand thing of his- it reassured her that the creature wasn't going to have a freak out and attack them any time soon.

She let her senses rest for the first time since they'd arrived at the new island. However, she still couldn't forget it. She couldn't forget what that kind of dragons had made them all go through. What they'd made Hiccup go through.

Astrid was by now, unaware of her friends' flowing chat and yet aware of them speaking somewhere around her. Blaim tiredness, or perhaps not enough effort to block those thoughs but the blonde found herself in a rain of recent memories.

Recent but not that pleasant.

It had to be those specific ones. It had to be that crucial, fatal -mind her- moment. The moment that started this all. She screaming his name so he didn't do It. And yet he did, he took what was supposed to be her faith. It had to be his face, his slack yet painfilled features. It had to be his green irises laying in her arms, fighting to stay open as usual until his last strenght. It had to be his groans, his heartstabbing screams.

Oh gods, she could hear them so well. So well it almost felt real. And she had to remind herself it wasn't but had been.

Like that helped at all. Geez, thanks a lot brain.

As if that helped her forget when she found him, Toothless in such fright. When she'd held him close, calling out to him. When he moaned her name, Toothless'. When he'd tried to fight it off. When suddenly her world collapsed, when the ground suddenly vanished into thin air right below her. Right below her feet.

When the Red Death came to haunt his thoughts as if his leg wasn't enough to haunt them all. When Fishlegs told them there was- even if small and not much of a thing- a cure. And for what? Viggo, who still needed to and was going to have what he deserved- Viggo to whom she would show no mercy- push the ground from below them all over again. That chain- and when she left him completly defenseless and hurting on that stupid, now gone island.

When she'd been deprived of him for a week, when the sharp and dark claws of death had made of the Edge a darkness ruled place.

When she realised how much he really meant to her- when, for the first time she assumed it.

When ASTRID FRIKING HOFFERSON THE FEARLESS- WHO HAD SWORN NEVER TO FALL FOR SOMETHING AS FUTILE, AS TRIFLING AS LOVE- FINNALY ACCEPTED HER FEELINGS.

Something she tried forgetting before was now so- even if slightly strange? and usettling?- good and comforting. Now she prefered to remind that feeling that fishbone gave her, because that was what she was also fighting for now.

But then again, hadn't she before?

And she would personally make sure something like the Grey Remorse incident never happened again.

Because just like the Red Death apparently still haunted Hiccup, that incident still haunted her and would ever so surely haunt her for the rest of-

"HAHAHAHA OKAY NOW THAT WAS GREAT I HAVE TO ADMIT IT MY GIRL LOOKING FRIEND!" Snotlout laughed and shouted literally tackling Tuffnut to the ground in his happiness.

"NOW WHO HAS TO RETHINK HIS JOKES HUM HUM?!" The male twin celebrated.

"WHO CARES?!" Ruffnut shouted, launching herself at her brother and Snotlout, managing to start a huge mess of limbs between the three, fighting/playing youths.

"OH THOR STOP IT YOU" Fishlegs blurt out, getting up from his place to help untangle his friends and stop the fight. That so didn't happen but it also made him get stuck between the three Vikings.

Astrid smiled mentally to herself. Her friends were happy and that-

"OUCH THAT WAS MY ARM! MEATLUG HELLPP! IT HURTS!"

"REALLY? DO IT TO ME TO COME ON!"

-yes, they were happy and that comforted her. Perhaps they were less worried than she was about Hiccup. Maybe they didn't carrie such a weight on their shoulders like she did although she knew all the Riders worried. Maybe they could finally relax (because she certainly couldn't, at least not that soon) after-

She was interrupted when Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs suddenly stopped still, each in a weirder position than the other. Their eyes were wide.

First Astrid wondered what was wrong but then she too realised. Hiccup's head had lolled to his side, landing on Astrid's shoulder after sliding from against Toothless.

"Hiccup?" She asked. Her eyes also widening as she looked to her side.

"Is something wrong?" Snotlout asked from somewhere under Tuffnut's...leg.

"Is H okay?" Ruffnut asked too, her grip on Fishleg's arm decreasing.

Or maybe they still worried just as much as her.

Hiccup's chest rose and fell in a constant rythm and he subconsciously snuggled even more against Astrid's shoulder...

...pads. Spiky, metal shoulder pads.

Ouch...

She gently pulled him close, so that his head rested somewhere in the crook of her neck. "Yeah. He's just sleeping." She smiled. Poor thing, was still exhausted and yet never stopped. She knew they should've stayed back on the Edge so that he could rest. The infection drained a lot of energy from his body and wanting or not Hiccup was still a... well, hiccup.

"Oh. Well, we should probably do the same." Fishlegs stated, yanking his leg from under Snotlout. Soon the play was over and the Riders cuddled with their dragons to rest for the night.

"We better go back to the Edge tomorrow. That guy's TOTALLY FREACKING ME OUT" Snotlout complained, menyioning Grumpy 2.

"Agreed. Night." Fishlegs mumbled, cuddling with Meatlug.

The others mumbled back and the twins could be heard knocking their heads together before finally, covering their eyes with their helmets and drifting off to sleep.

Astrid stared at the fire for a little longer, the silence of the night now filling her ears instead of her friends' lively chattering.

She gently laid Hiccup under Toothless' wing and the sleeping dragon instintively shielded the boy. Astrid then caressed the Haddock's cheek when she felt a pair of menacing eyes over them.

And of course that she looked back at Grumpy 2 with the same (if not even more) menacing eyes.

They wouldn't ever again touch her Hiccup. No one. And those two were no exception.

"You're warned Remorse." She mumbled, glaring daggers. Her glare softened when she placed a kiss on Hiccup's temple before looking back at the dragon. "You're both warned."

The blonde crawled back to lay against Stormfly and the dragon squaled when her rider covered herself with the Nadder's wing.

"You still awake girl?" Astrid asked to what Stormfly agreed, adjusting her position and purring against Astrid's touch.

And as the last of the riders fell asleep, the glowing pair of eyes inside the cavern shone even more. But besides mistrust it had a glow of confusion.

Why had that human touched the other with its lips? Why was it being so protective?

What was that feeling the female seemed to show?

And...why did it feel so familiar?

 **RTTE**

 **THAT WAS IT. Going to work on the next one now but please understand that my schedule is rl busy with daaammm exams gah**

 **HOPE YOU LIKED IT! DONT BE AFRAID TO REVIEW BUDIES, I WANNA KNOW YOUR THOUGHS, YOU MATTER A LOTTT BAIIII XD**


	5. Chapter 5

***rises from the depths of the ocean***

 **Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssup?**

 **First of all – and as I usually do- sorry for taking so long. A lot has happened this summer. I went on vaca, came back with 13 (counted) mosquito bites and a sunburn on each of my feet (idrk why I always burn my feet, probably for hanging them outside the balcony) *shrugs*, got a "job" cleaning pools, family stuff, blah blah blaah.**

 **Anyway, I'm super excited now because my desktop broke last year, and I've been writing on my autocorrector-full phone and… it's kinda crazy. It makes writing hard, since it's always slipping from my hands with this heat, and it's small, (with the autocorrector) and its keyboard has this nasty habit of erasing the last paragraphs I wrote if I don't save the work from time to time on a "notes" app. But, I'm excited bc I finally got a desktop yayyyyy, and now I can write properly and my "writers block" was dimmed to a ball of nothing…**

 **…** **As you can tell, since I finally fixed this story and updated, all because I've got a new inspiration boost. I honestly have so many ideas! Yes, I changed the name, don't scream please.**

 **So, I'm hoping on updating lots before school comes back (noooooo) and don't worry about the one-shot requests, I've got it handled and will try to correct all the mistakes on Over my Dead Body part2 (yes, it's written- sort of- I wanna change a part) and try to post it either tomorrow or after! The other requests following after.**

 **I'll be switching with this story or others, because a way of inspiring myself is to sometimes just… forget everything and get a blank page and just right what I want how I feel to, or just work on another plot. It helps a lot. It helps relax actually.**

 **Well, I'm not hoping you guys to have read it all, and if you have THANK YOU!**

 **Just wanna say you guys are amazing for sticking up with me for this long. I know I'm hard.**

 **So enjoy and there's no cliffhanger on the end of this one XD**

 **Ps: Guess who's about to make 1 year here in fanfiction?! Yeppp, moiii hehe.**

…

Hiccup woke up sooner than expected. Way sooner.

He actually woke up so soon, that the sun hadn't even shown signs of appearing on the horizon.

He could feel Toothless's wing covering him and smiled. It felt good, it was warm and safe. Unfortunately, he also knew he wouldn't be going back to sleep again so soon, so he gently rolled from under the Night Fury's protective wing and sit down.

"Hmm… yak-rats nho… size of… rats" Mumbled Snotlout from the other side of the campfire. Hiccup stretched and yawned, opening his eyes to find his cousin in the middle of two dreaming twins. They were crushing him in a Thorston sandwich, and mumbling something about Loki.

Fishlegs was still asleep against Meatlug, and neither of them seemed to be very comfortable. In fact, he could also hear his bulky best friend mumbling something in the ways of a creepy sound. Astrid too, still slept. Stormfly's wing was draped over her rider like a blanket, but at least he could see the girl's head… contrarily to what a certain over-protective black dragon did with him. Hiccup smiled, she looked so peaceful.

They all did.

HOOOOORRRRRWWGGGRRIII

Okay… maybe not ALL of them.

Hiccup jumped to his feet, startled. He looked around, noticing that every single one of their dragons was there and asleep. Meaning…

… what a way to start your day- night- dawn. Whatever…

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the cavern where the Grey Remorses were. He could barely make out the form of one of them, but not the second. Thankfully (or not), another roar sounded far off in the island, indicating him that he wouldn't need to step into the cave and see if it was there by himself. Thankfully (in part) because he was sure he wasn't very welcome on the crazy dragons' home.

The roar seemed a distress one, or a very very angered one. Hiccup couldn't quite understand roars, but something told him something was off… with this one. He looked back at his sleeping friends. They seemed exhausted and needing the sleep they were currently having, besides it was still too early to wake them up. That and… honestly he wasn't feeling that much like being there to hear Snotlout's complains when he woke up with a twin snuggled by each of his sides.

Hiccup made his decision. He picked his shield up from the ground near Toothless and strapped it to his back. The sound had come from far on the island and so he didn't think he would have to use it that soon. If he kept a good pace and the still shining stars in the dark sky in sight, he should be back before the others opened an eye and went berserk.

One way or another he was going. Curiosity was stronger than him anyway.

He picked up a branch from the dying fire and revived the flame. It would probably come in handy if he could see where he was going.

On his way, he observed Grumpy and 2's cavern from up closer. Last night, both dragons had fallen asleep side by side, occupying the mouth of the cave, but now the only one he saw sleeping was the female one. Which left the question: Where was Grumpy?

If Hiccup had to guess, which he was already assuming, he'd risk the roar on the forest belonged to said Grey Remorse.

In one hand hoping his feeling that something wasn't right was wrong and he'd just find the dragon hunting or poisoning another prey and in another hand, hoping to not witness any of that, Hiccup headed for the forest.

…

His stump was screaming and Hiccup was done.

"Why do you have to keep hurting?" Hiccup absentmindedly questioned while he kept avoiding trees and unsteady ground. "Isn't it enough not being there every day and making me walk and live with a piece of metal for leg?! Now you have to hurt too? Days have passed, get over it…"

The stump didn't reply, only kept being a nuisance.

Hiccup sighed as he took advantage of a clearing to check with the stars if he was going the right direction. Proud that he was, he continued his path.

It would've been easier to just take Toothless and fly. It wouldn't even take a quart of the time it was taking him by foot. Also, it would've been safer to come with his buddy and even more so with the other riders but… he guessed he just wanted to be alone for a while.

Ever since he came back that everyone had been going nuts around him (yes, even Snotlout and the twins though those kept joking anyway), always checking on him and asking him how he felt. He knew they were worried about him and they'd caught a big fright (an almost 2 weeks long one), it warmed his heart to know someone cared- all of them actually. However, Hiccup had always felt uncomfortable with all the attention worrying meant. He was used to dealing with stuff on his own, since that's pretty much how he'd been in his childhood- since he could remember of course.

All he wanted now was just a single moment of not being remembered of his infected stump and obsessive friends, although that was more or less what he was doing at the moment. He just wanted space to breathe and get his mind off things. This was his opportunity for that- an adventure in which he could just sneak out alone and not be the sick-Hiccup his friends still saw in him.

Honestly, with all that pain and lack of well-being, Hiccup didn't think he'd be sick so soon- he wouldn't stand it if so.

All of a sudden, he heard another roar- a frantic and mad one. That was it, the source. Hiccup followed the sound, trying to be as stealthy as he could. He found himself staring at the base of the volcano and barely had time to drop to the ground, hiding behind one of many bushes, when a flash of white flew by. He dared himself to take a pick again, and found the white form to be nothing more, nothing less than Grumpy.

"What're you doing here? Hunting?" He mumbled under his breath, narrowing his eyes to observe better. If anything, the stance he stood in didn't really resemble a hunting position, if anything, it looked like he was the one being hunted and yet still fighting back.

The dragon roared once again, heavily stepping on the ground. Its irises turned to pure splits and with a red shine, he urged forward talons sharp and precise. The weird part though, was that he went against the rock of the volcano, scrapping his talons there.

Hiccup analyzed the dragon. He had to calm it down before it got hurt. He knew Grey Remorses were kind of crazy, but to see one slamming itself against a volcano definitely made him widen his eyes.

Slowly, ever so careful to avoid sudden movements, Hiccup stepped out of the vegetation's cover. The Grey Remorse turned to face him in a swift movement and Hiccup barely saw it jumping forward, blind by its instinct.

"Gru- AH!" He rolled to the side, missing the poisonous claws by a mere inch. "Is it always going to be like this? It's me Grumpy! It's me. It's okay boy-" He mumbled from the ground.

Grumpy looked ready to attack again, but he recognized Hiccup's voice apparently. The dragon bounded over to the rider, smelling him. Hiccup pulled himself up to his fe- foot using the dragon's large, strong head as support. "Eh you almost had me there again uh?"

Grumpy threw him a you-were-the-one-who-stepped-towards-me-anyway look. Hiccup patted his head, passing his hand though the scales in circular movements. The dragon seemed to like it, but Hiccup could easily tell his attention was elsewhere.

"What's going on Grumpy? Were you fighting? You seem good to me now. Everything seems to be on its place." He kept speaking in a low, calm voice, hoping it to maintain the dragon still and yielding. The last thing he wanted was to feel those talons carved on his chest again.

Grumpy stared at the base of the volcano, and Hiccup followed the dragon's stare with his eyes. He could now make out the shape of another cavern on its side, and that was enough for him to understand what was going on better, if slightly.

"There's another dragon there?" He muttered. "It would explain why you were flying against the wall. Maybe you can't fit and he's inside."

With a last pat, Hiccup pulled his shield from his back. This was certainly the right time to use it. He stumbled forward, eager to take a moment to sit down and relieve some pressure off his sore stump, Grumpy following him from behind.

And he'd just gotten close enough to strangely notice that the cavern was indeed big enough for Grumpy to fit in, when an earsplitting skirl started at an unexplainable frequency.

"GAAAAH!" He squeezed his eyes shut, dropping the shield to the ground in an attempt to cover his ears. It sounded like a very low eeeeeeeeeeeeee in the beginning but suddenly it was an EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE that made him feel like his ears were about to explode. Black dots danced in his vision when he opened his eyes, and the whole forest was spinning.

Gritting his teeth in an attempt to stay on his feet and not fall to the ground, Hiccup turned around to find Grumpy roaring again, his eyes wild and alert. But he could barely hear the roar. Everything was muffled and all he could hear was the agonizing screech, shaking the inside of his ears with such a volume and frequency Hiccup felt like screaming.

 _What is that?!_

However, he couldn't try to think and answer that question. When he found himself, Grumpy had gone berserk again, and while the dragon turned around, trashing about wildly in obvious discomfort, his tail came at an astonishing speed for… well a tail.

It smacked itself against Hiccup's chest, taking the breath out of him and sending the boy flying backwards. He gasped, feeling himself hit his back and head against the trunk of a tree and the breath he might've restored was once again taken.

Hiccup was by now more unaware of the world than aware, but he still registered it hurt. He could make out the faint sounds of the screech and Grumpy's roar but as he fell to the ground and rolled downhill, the distant light of the morning sun was the last think he remembered.

 _Well, there goes not being worried about. It's not like I'll be going back to the others now._

With that, his consciousness waved him goodbye.

…

"-cup…"

"-i-cup!"

Hiccup slowly became aware of the world again. He could feel himself laying on something soft and for a moment the numbness he felt almost made him fall back to unconsciousness.

"Hiccup, are you awake?"

Astrid? What was Astrid- What hap- Uh?

Last time he checked, he was at the forest… meaning- oh. Ugh, right, he'd been knocked out and they probably found him.

"Ass-t?" He grit his teeth, his head hurt so much.

His eyelids fluttered open and several blurred forms stood upon him before his glazed eyes focused back. "He-hey?" He tried, noticing their worried expressions.

"What weRE YOU THINKING?!" Snotlout shouted, much to Hiccup's dismay. He could feel the beat of his heart pounding on his head and Snotlout couldn't have scolded him louder.

Hiccup held his head in his hand, pushing himself to sit up. Pain raced through his back and he lost strength. Astrid caught him before he hit the ground, holding him against her.

"Thanks…" He mumbled, swallowing and cursing his dry throat.

Astrid smiled at him. "I take it you hit your head really hard." She stated, caressing his bangs.

"Yeah… if only it was…just my head…" Now that he thought about it, his chest was sore as well, probably from being hit. "Where are we?"

"At the campfire." Fishlegs answered, twiddling his fingers nervously. "You scared us…"

"Nhhh… sorry- Ho-how did you guys find me?" Hiccup mumbled.

Suddenly, a black blur filled his camp of vision, liking him. "Too-Toothless!"

Toothless cooed worriedly, nuzzling his rider lovingly. "I-m f-fine bud." Then came the tailfin to the head, as a way of scolding. "TOOTHLES- GAH- stop licking me, are you mad or not bud?" Hiccup questioned, trying to sound serious, thought he couldn't really hide the smile on his face.

Toothless was mad at him for going on his own yes, but more than that he was relieved by seeing his rider awake and fine. He lay next to his buddy, resting his head by the boy's feet and tailfin over his torso.

"Well, we woke up and you weren't here. Toothless went nuts and it wasn't hard to follow him to you." Astrid explained after the dragon finally settled down, and then her grip on him tightened. "We just weren't expecting to find you blacked out on the other side of the island. Toothless nearly had a heart attack…" And me too, she thought, remembering when they found him limp, covered in dirt... She'd been worried sick.

"You somehow set fire to a bunch of trees." Snotlout deadpanned, resuming.

"It was AMAZING, Tuffnut almost got burned when we were erasing the fire!" Ruffnut shouted, making Hiccup clench his teeth. He buried his head against Astrid's neck, too done to even blush because of it. She didn't seem to mind either, if anything she pulled him closer, supporting the total of his weight that his back seemed to refuse.

"I still don't understand the part of erasing the fire," Tuffnut joined in, "But I certainly have to agree with my sister. It was BEAUTIFUL, THE COLOURS, THE HEAT, THE DESTRUCTION, that bunch of trees have seen better days, RUFFNUT'S HAIR CATCHING FIRE-"

"HEY THAT'S NOT FUN-"

"Oh shut up!" Astrid cut in, hearing Hiccup's moans. Ruffnut dropped the burned end of one of her braids disappointed. "If you hadn't tried to touch the fire like we told you not to, none of that would've happened."

She then turned back to Hiccup, smiling softly. "Don't worry, it wasn't a big area. Just about 10 trees give or take."

Hiccup snorted. "It must've been the torch I took…But…That's not really what I'm worried about the most." He mumbled.

"What happened then?" Fishlegs stepped forward, dropping to his knees so he could hear well.

"I think he should rest first Fish-" Astrid started, only to be interrupted by Hiccup himself.

"I'm fine Astrid…" He sighed. "Just hit my head… and back… and chest- The point is, I'm not dying."

"But-"

"But this is important."

"Fine…"

"Good and thank you anyway." Hiccup replied.

"No problem… tell us then why you went out there alone, AND don't think I'm _not_ mad at you for that." Her voice a low growl by the end of the sentence, though it seemed she forced it to sound like that.

Hiccup decided not to point that out. "I woke up early before you all, and when I did, there were several loud roars. They seemed distress ones so I went to see why."

"Without US?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Snotlout cut in.

"Apparently Snotlout, yes. Since you were here and I wasn't, I went by myself apparently. Please don't shout, my ears still hurt." Hiccup answered back, accidentally adding more sarcasm to his voice than he'd meant to. HE ALREADY KNEW HE SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE ALONE! HE'D LEARNED HIS LESSON THOR!

"Ohhhh, Hiccup just shut youuuuu up." Ruffnut whispered in the Jorgenson's ear.

"Shut up Ruffnut…" The boy mumbled back, crossing his arms.

"Oh shoot, he's sulky now…" Tuffnut played.

"Anyway," Hiccup said in a sing-song voice, "when I got there, I found out it was actually Grumpy, which makes sense, since he wasn't at their cavern with the other one."

"I noticed that too." Fishlegs pointed out, nodding his head. "The female one is there but not him."

"Exactly." Hiccup agreed, "That's because he was busy roaring on the other side of the island and throwing himself at the volcano, trying to infect it-"

"WHAT AN IDIOT HA!" Tuffnut laughed, "He can't just infect a volcano!"

"No he cannot Tuff."

"IT'S TOO TALL FOR HIM!"

Groans were heard.

"Err- yeah… so… I walked towards him an-"

"DID IT HIT YOU?!" Astrid and Fishlegs shouted at the same time.

"Ye- uh, no, No. It didn't. Come on guys…" Hiccup sighed.

"Sorry…" Fishlegs mumbled.

"Now… I stepped towards it and at first…" He looked up at Astrid cautiously, preparing himself to speak slowly. "…he tried to hit me BUT, after that I calmed him down. Still it looked like he was obsessed with a cavern on the volcano."

"What was inside?" Astrid questioned, furrowing an eyebrow. She didn't like the way this was heading.

"A yak?!" Ruffnut vociferated.

"Yak-rats?!" Tuffnut shouted.

"A dragon…" Snotlout rolled his eyes at the twins' assumptions.

"Nothing…" Hiccup revealed, feeling a bit better and sitting against Astrid, still needing her for support though.

"NOTHING?! They all exclaimed. _So much suspense for nothing?_

Hiccup patted Toothless' head, earning soft purrs from the dragon. "Not nothing nothing, nothing … something. I don't know, it seemed deep, very deep and very dark but I saw nothing."

"Well that's just disappointing. Well, off we go now right?" Snotlout asked, motioning for Hookfang lying nearby. "We've checked on the dragons and there's nothing we can do about their madness. How far away is the Edge really?"

"I said I saw nothing Snotlout, but I heard something indeed."

"Ugh… But of course he did!" Snotlout bickered, rolling his eyes.

"Like what?" Astrid ignored the Jorgenson. She wanted to know why he'd been unconscious when they found him.

"It hurt. It sounded like a screech but it was so thin and loud. It- I honestly thought my ears were about to explode. Ear-piercing expression, literally. It must be a dragon," He glanced at Ruffnut, "No yak can do that."

"And that's when you fainted?" The blonde beside him tried.

"Almost, after that everything's a giant blur, but I know Grumpy went wild again and started trashing about like… a mad dragon. He hit me square in the chest with his tail; send me flying against a tree. Last thing I know I hit my head and back there and then rolled down a hill. Then, I'm here."

Astrid shivered. He definitely _SHOULDN'T_ HAVE GONE ALONE.

"How weird…" Fishlegs mumbled, scratching his chin. "Then why hasn't the female Grey Remorse heard it? It could be a species thing. Our dragons didn't hear it."

"Yeah but they were exhausted; Slept through the rising time." Astrid pointed out. "Which explains why they didn't hear it, but she… It doesn't make sense…"

Hiccup struggled to get to his foot, eventually he managed to, but as soon as that happened he groaned, waving and forcing Astrid to hold one of his arms around her neck and passing one of her own by his back, careful not to hurt him furthermore.

"Where are we going?" She turned to face him.

Hiccup didn't refuse her help. "You're right, it doesn't make sense. Besides Grumpy isn't back yet, so we should check for anything that could give us some clues on what's going on."

"Let me guess Hiccup Haddock," She deadpanned. ",his cavern."

"Yep."

"I hate you so much you know?"

"You don't have to come, none of you have you know?" He smirked, hearing the others following them behind.

"OH we're so going." Snotlout stated.

"You just want all the fun for yourself!" Tuffnut accused.

"Yeah! Do you think that's fair H? It's not!" His sister insisted.

"But if we die-" Snotlout said, "I'm blaiming it on you… cousin." He spit the last word in a provoking tone.

"Fair enough." Hiccup chuckled. "Ow…"

" _D-die_ …?" Fishlegs cried.

Soon enough, they were standing by the mouth of the cavern. Toothless stood by Hiccup's side, teeth unsheathed, growling at the dragon sleeping inside.

"Stand back bud, we don't want to scare her."

"Scare her?!" He could hear Snotlout laugh nervously. "Well, that's it…My cousin's officially crazy! WE scare HER- HAha… Are you aware of what _she_ is HICCUP!?"

Hiccup obviously ignored the Jorgenson, convincing Toothless with his eyes. Toothless looked reluctant but for loyalty to his rider, nudged the boy's hand and stepped back, hiding himself behind the group.

 _He wasn't going to really leave them right?_

As if on cue, Grumpy 2 opened its eyes, instantly growling when she found all these beings near her and her home. She instantly flew forward, talons at the ready. Every one managed to avoid being hit, and once she saw she'd failed, the female dragon sit down, looking at the group in confusion.

Hiccup stretched his hand, "It's alright. We're not here to hurt you." He stepped forward, Astrid refusing to let him go alone. "You can trust us."

The dragon got up, rising to its full size. She stepped forward, watching Hiccup and the blonde grabbing him from above as if mocking about their size compared to hers. This group she'd tried attacking, she knew them. They were still here?

Stubborn humans… They never knew how to quit. And what was this one trying to do with his hand? Expecting her to just touch it or something?

She looked at all of them, curious. They were quiet, holding their breath, almost as if expecting something.

"We should name her H!" Ruffnut shouted from behind.

Hiccup mumbled something under his breath, sighing. Then he grit his teeth and, never taking his eyes off the dangerous dragon he was trying to tame, mumbled back. "Not _now_ … _Ruff_ …"

The Grey Remorse kept looking at the hand. Wait, they were. They were expecting her to touch it. How ridiculous wasn't it?! She could easily kill them all in mere seconds, or provide them a slow and agonizing death with her poison. She almost laughed at the idea that they wanted her to trust them- But-

-It didn't really sound that bad all of a sudden, her mate trusted them. So why wouldn't she? Why would she attack them, if they hadn't meant any harm since they arrived? She had, after all, already leaned in to his touch the day before, though even after that, she didn't trust them. Yesterday she had been more protective but during the night… It wasn't like she had something to protect now…

Hiccup released his breath when her scaly snout was pressed into his palm. As a mirrored reflex, the riders dared giggling. They wouldn't die there and then!

Pushing himself to stand on his feet alone, Hiccup started caressing the recently tamed dragon's head. She had to admit, the human knew what he was doing.

Hiccup smiled. When he'd tried to train her the previous day, he could tell she didn't trust him, and it was worth nothing. But now, she was probably beginning to get just as acquainted with them as Grumpy was.

"Could we go in your cavern and take a look…?" Hiccup questioned, motioning towards the dragon's home.

She huffed, indignantly. It was her shelter! Hers, what did they want from it?!

Then again, she had nothing else to protect and if they tried something, like keeping it for themselves, she would make sure they spent the next days regretting it.

One way or another, she really had to go hunting. And since there wasn't another dragon to watch for her home, she supposed they even came in handy. Yes, she was smart. _Don't doubt that._

With another half unamused breath, she took off, going to find some breakfast.

Hiccup turned to the others, furrowing a brow. "I'll take that as a yes?"

They stepped into the cavern, surprised by how large it was. Then again, it wasn't hard, given the size of the volcano. The two Remorses slept by the entrance and it was big enough for a third one deeper on.

"This place is amazing!" The twins shouted, taking off running towards the darkest part.

Fishlegs kneeled, touching the ground. "The air is warm from the lava," He shuddered. "The volcano's active but probably asleep, I'd say."

"That's relieving." Snotlout deadpanned, going to check on what the two muttonheads on the end of the cave were doing.

Astrid touched the walls of the cavern. "And there's plenty of humidity for their spines." She acknowledged.

"So they're not having any trouble with the habitat. If it wasn't good enough, it could explain why Grumpy seemed crazy, despite the loud screech." Hiccup stated, leaning on a wall to rest.

"Yes," Fishlegs agreed, " And the spot's warm, meaning she was here all night but him-" He crawled to where they'd seen the male dragon fall asleep the night before. "It's cold. Their bodies are warm, more than usual. If he were to have left when you woke up," He looked at Hiccup, "This would still be warm."

"So whatever's happened, was right in the dead of the night." Hiccup resumed.

Fishlegs nodded his head, and would've said more if laughter hadn't beaten him to it.

"BAHAHAHAHAHHA GUYS- GUYS- HAA!" Tuffnut laughed hysterically, "C-come see our new baby!"

"GET ME OUTTA HERE YOU IDIOTS!" Snotlout yelled, obviously on the verge of throwing himself at their necks.

"Snot-LOUD THE NOISY, SULKY HATCHLING!" Ruffnut burst into laugher, supporting herself on her knees. "He's sooo mad!"

Astrid, Hiccup and Fishlegs looked back at each other, before shaking their shoulders and walking towards their friends.

Snotlout was inside a nest, obviously meant for an egg and not for a complaining Viking.

"Woah- is that-?" Astrid asked, widening her eyes. "It's huge!"

"A dragon nest!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "And by the size of it, I'd say the egg was your size Snotlout," He dared a giggle.

"You seem to fit there _just_ fine." Astrid provoked.

"Which means," Hiccup stepped forward, trying hard not to laugh at the sight of his cousin trying to climb out of the nest. It had taller sides, meant for protecting the egg obviously, but Snotlout, though fitting on the space inside just fine, was too short to climb out of it. "It must've been a Grey Remorse egg, and that explains why the female wouldn't trust us yesterday, but did today."

"Please get me out of here; I don't wanna be here when she comes back…" Snotlout mumbled. Hiccup looked at the twins, pointing at Snotlout. They got the message and sighed, obviously disappointed, before going and trying to help the boy out.

Astrid looked at Hiccup. "Then why isn't the egg here? I didn't see any giant baby Grey Remorse wandering around…"

Then, just as Hiccup concluded his thought, she understood it.

"It was taken." Hiccup finished for her. "That's why Grumpy went berserk."

"It still doesn't explain why the female isn't going nuts, or why she doesn't go and help him retrieve it then." Fishlegs noted.

"Maybe the males take care of the egg on this species." Astrid suggested, crossing her arms.

"It seems a nice hypothesis, but… One way or another…We have to find out." Hiccup looked her in the eyes, and then Fishlegs. "They're a species on the brink of extinction. That's why they're so protective of the egg, and that's why we have to find it. "He glanced back at Toothless, sitting by the entrance to see if any dragons came back. The other dragons had stayed by the campfire, guarding their things, since too many could threaten the female Grey Remorse.

"So you're saying…" Snotlout started, his arm being pulled by Ruffnut and his leg by Tuffnut. He was currently laying on his stomach, over the edge of the nest's overworked walls, "There's _something_ out there, in a cave. The two overgrown, poisonous, crazy dragons put an egg. The male one vanished, from what we know, and since we didn't see him there when we found you the _something_ has something to do with it. The egg's missing. And we're going to be looking for it on this island full of imminent danger."

He fell to the ground, and didn't bother getting up to finish his thoughts. "And let me guess… we'll be looking in that one, spooky cavern with the _something_ inside right?"

Hiccup laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

…

 **Soooo, that was it, and I hope you liked it. Dunno if it's short or long, I just let it go until I thought was good. Next chapter things will start getting out of hand for our riders, who will save them? I've already given you some clues this chapter, it's really hidden but there XD**

 **Well, I'm off now, I'd love you to tell me what'cha think thought. *winks***

 **Baaiiiii!**

 ***vanishes***


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyooo, here we go :)**

 **So, it's been a looong while again, I'm pretty disappointed in myself but I've already decided I'll just do my best and when it's best. Honestly, I'm in the middle of this year, so many exams and expectations, I don't think I can make it to the end with a nice level *sigh* life's so hard.**

 **Alright guys, I spend my whole days working (thank Thor for Carnival to give me a couple days out) and when I get home I just... can't use the only free hour I sometimes have to write. For as much as I try, I'm just too tired and in need to sleep for the day to go all over again in the morning. The weeks with evaluations are the worse, about a whole month when I don't even have a break at night, only STUDY STUDY STUDY for them. Evaluations come in like three per week and the subjects are so hard, honestly.**

 **So, since I need to get a nice average I focus a lot on books, and for as hard as it is to admit, Fanfiction comes in last, since it is not connected to my career.**

 **Anyway, I still manage to write a few paragraphs per day, and even if they're losing quality, I still try as hard as before, perhaps even more. Promised it is, that if I ever leave for good, a warning will be posted.**

 **That's it, what I want to say. I'm done with excuses so now you know why I'm taking so long for good. I can't do more than this, it's past my abilities. From now on, whenever I post, I'm done with excuses, I'll just post normally even if it's been a while.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy it, sincerely. Please comment what you think, and BE NICE even when saying what you disiked. Tell me something you liked too, so I won't feel as bad, please, I'm too overworked and it hadsbeen messing with my feelings, though most of you, (some guests are other matter as usual) are just sweeties, and wonderful.**

 **Go on, I'll stop being boring, I'm sure you don't want to hear about my problems. ON WITH THE STORY! XD**

 **PS: I'll be correcting the errors lately, just can't focus anymore by now. Migraine coming this way.**

"We are. We are looking inside the spooky cavern with a spooky something inside," Snotlout mumbled, exasperated. He turned towards his cousin. "I hate you so much."

"I'm well aware of that." Hiccup replied, not stopping his work. He handed the chuby boy next to him a satchel with charcoal and yellowed paper. "This'll be enough, right?"

Fishlegs nodded, "I'll make the island fit on it. You've got the dragon nip?"

Hiccup opened his own satchel, "Plenty of it. Also splinters and some wood to light a fire, just in case."

"I've got fish and berries." Astrid joined in, approaching the group. Both boys flashed her a smile in acknowledgment. "The twins have got the water."

"Not for long…" Snotlout pointed out, deadpanning. He motioned his thumb towards the two siblings, currently running after each other, the satchels with full recipients bouncing around, up and down with all their moving.

Hiccup frowned, before shaking his head. He turned back towards the Jorgenson. "You've got the blankets right?"

"Hmm…"

"Snotlout!"

"Yeah yeah…" The other waved him off, "I just don't get it why he," Snotlout glared at Fishlegs, "doesn't get to go as well."

"We've talked about this, ugh" Astrid rolled her eyes, "We need someone to take care of the dragons, since they don't fit through the opening- except forToothless, that is."

"Besides, he'll have to keep an eye out on the crazy, humor-driven Grey Remorse back there." The auburn-haired calmly declared. "You know what? We could always leave you to it…"

"I'm good thanks." The black-haired quickly dimmed. He disappeared towards his dragon.

Fishlegs fist-pumped the Haddock, "You somehow always get him."

"He's Snotlout."

Astrid layed her hand on the taller boy's shoulder-guard, she smiled slyly, "And let's be honest, if Hiccup doesn't get him," Her eyes narrowed, a glint of enjoyment flashing through the blue, "he knows I'll do it. But in a much worse manner." The girl promptly punched her fist against her open palm.

After gathering all the supplies eventually needed, and the plan had been traced out -signals decided and time discussed, each rider bid goodbye to their dragons, promising to return soon. It wasn't pleasant, but no one really took it all too seriously, for the better. It would be like an expedition, and in the worst of the probabilities they'd take about a week inside. They didn't know how long it would take to find an egg underneath a volcano, but given its largeness it would be almost as searching for a needle in the whole forest-

\- Only darker.

Putting things in that perspective, it really wasn't one of their best adventures. Mainly the part where the dragons would be staying behind.

The group wandered off inside the entrance, Astrid, Snotlout and Ruffnut each holding torches in their hands. Toothless in the front, using his abilities. Fishlegs nervously waved them goodbye, Meatlug by his side and the other dragons by the other. He'd always been nervous- but as he watched his friends vanish inside the darkness where Grumpy had once been trying to fit in, he bit his lip.

Meatlug growled, eyes authentic big black balls glancing back at her beloved rider.

Fishlegs patted her head. "I know girl," He sighed, green eyes analyzing the sad dragons left behind, "But they have Toothless, they'll be fine and back soon enough."

Right?

He realized that, like Hiccup had said, the cavern really was deep- perhaps too deep for his liking. The intermittent purple glow of Toothless' sonar, constantly being used as the dragon guided the riders, suddenly disappeared far off inside the small opening.

They were gone.

They were alone.

Fishlegs and the dragons, to his defense, eyed the hole skeptically.

Stormfly squawked, opening her wings then closing them. Barf and Belch stared at each other intently, and Hookfang proudly tried to conceal his puppy eyes.

"Come on guys, back to the lonely beach with the deadly mother-dragon in it…." He gulped. The others were counting on him, and he did have 4 dragons with him, what could go wrong? "Just peachy…"

"For the last time-" Hiccup ran his hands through his hair, rolling his eyes, "I don't sound like that!"

"I don't speak my intelligent and wise foreign words like that Ruffnut. My voice isn't even alike that Ruffnut. I'll have to politely decline your impersonations of my one-legged person and ask you to stop them, pardon." Ruffnut smiled, waving her hands about. She exaggeratedly limped from her left leg.

"S'il vous plaît, it's S'il vous plaît…" The Haddock mumbled, receiving a sympathetic huff from the black dragon next to him.

"Hiccup is right, Ruffnut, "Astrid started, walking slightly behind the boy and his dragon, the twins at her side. "He doesn't even limp like that."

"Thank you Astrid."

"And he definitely shakes his shoulders much more than that."

"Thank you Astrid!" He gestured about wildly, "No I don't by the way."

"No I don't…" Ruffnut continued, "Y'all, mere humans- only my NIGHT FURY knows, only he fully understands my convictions and feelings!" She brought her closed fist against her heart, overly dramatically.

"Wha- AHHH…" Hiccup face palmed, glancing back. "And what you supposed to be Tuffnut?"

"He's my beloved Night Fury, powerful and tooth full." Ruffnut declared, patting Tuffnut's helmet. He easily walked alongside his sister, only with his hands on the sharp floor as well.

Toothless snapped his head back, narrowing his eyes into splits. With a well done reflex, he swung his tailfins at the two blonde's heads, swapping them off their feet then laughing from the back of his throat, amused.

"Oh so noooow you do something," Hiccup stopped, so the group could regroup. He crossed his arms, "Thank you for nothing you useless reptile."

Toothless knocked his head as well.

Loud laughter filled the air, as three of the risers sat on their butts.

Astrid giggled, but Snotlout pushed himself forward, holding his belly. "Now this!" He stood next to the Night Fury, motioning at Hiccup. "This is something, right T?!"

When Snotlout had been knocked to the ground, the Night Fury proudly bounded off towards Astrid, shooting a blast against the wall. "Now he's wise." She declared, patting the cool head of the dragon.

The corridor had come to what seemed an end, then dividing into multiple passage ways. Astrid's trained eyes studied the place from beneath her blond locks.

"Woah," She gasped, stepping forward.

"What is it?" Hiccup questioned, pulling himself to his foot. The others walked near the young warrior as she ghosted her torch above the rock wall, forming a half moon circling the marks.

"This wall…" She mumbled.

"Woah man…" Tuffnut mumbled, his eyes comically wide, mouth agape.

Ruffnut closed her brother's mouth. She let hers open, "That's creepy man."

"What is it?" Astrid questioned, her eyebrows deep in confusion.

"It's not only this wall." Hiccup stepped forward, mouth opened in awe. It appeared like someone, or something, had dragged a sword or an axe, a blade, sharp blade that is, across the rock. Not with the intent to cut, but sideways, scraping both the surface of the cavern and the weapon.

Only Hiccup was sure it was no weapon that made the scraps. Or at least, it wasn't a weapon made of metal.

"Then what is it?" He wondered out loud, his fingers running over the marks on the wall.

Suddenly, the ground shook, and loose rocks were heard rolling down from their previous places. The teens looked wildly about. It was beginning to be impossible to keep standing.

"Watch out!" Snotlout yelled, trying to escape further down inside the corridor. The others did the same, but it was all a bit mess. Boulders fell, the sides of the passage way caved in, giant stalactites cracked.

It was all so fast.

"Everyone alright?!"

"Good."

"Been better but, yeah..."

"It was so cool!"

"Can we go in again?

It was dark and a cloud of dust still hung in the air. Hiccup brought his hand to his head, mentally checking all the voices. They all seemed fine, thankfully.

Wait...

"Toothless?!" He called. The dragon didn't answer, nor bump his head against him, as usual, cooing. "Toothless!" He bolted in the direction of the fallen boulders.

"Hiccup, what happened?" He felt a cool hand on his own for a moment. "Where's Toothless, Astrid?!"

"You don't think he's..."

A coo echoed faintly from the other side, along with the frantic scraping of claws against rock. "Grooooo!"

"Toothless!"

The digging became faster, the rocks grumbled in protest, the smaller ones fell. "No! Toothless don't! We're all fine! This place is unstable, stop digging! We're fine!"

"Groooo!" He seemed to understand.

Hiccup got to his foot, no one able to see anything in the darkness since the torch had been extinguished. "Great. We're out of light, and now with no dragon."

"Wait... But I thought there was a creepy something in here…" Snotlout commented, "Hmm… Are you sure that tunnel's blocked?"

"Blocked, yep. Solid as a rock, yet as instable as your mood." Astrid confirmed.

"Hey! I'M NOT-" He froze, backing up until his back met the others'. A too silent, sibilant echo tingled in their ears. "You guys heard that, right? Or was it just me?" Snotlout feared.

"Nope, that was awesomely CREEPY!" Rufnut shouted, breaking the silence. Her voice seemed to echo through all the passageways under the volcano.

"Stop it!" Snotlout hissed, " _It_ might hear you, then we'll all die!"

"Relax, Snottyman. It was probably just some water drop or something:" Tuffnut said.

In the dark, Snotlout stared at the part of the darkness he thought Tuffnut was in, not at all satisfied with the suggestion. That was how it always happened. Good, innocent, little Vikings went somewhere creepy. Good, innocent ,little Vikings heard something creepy. Good, innocent, little Vikings thought it was nothing. Godd, innocent, little Vikings BAM were eaten or killed in a gruesome way.

"Tuffnut might just be right, Snotlout. There is a lot of humidity here, the walls are just soaked in water I bet. Still, let's remember why were here, and keep our eyes open and attentive." Hiccup said.

"I still can't see anything, H!" Ruffnut yelled.

"Me neither!" Her brother agreed.

Hiccup sighed, he could just picture them with their eyes wide open in the dark, wide enough to the point where it hurt. "Toothless, you go back to Fishlegs on the beach, buddy. Tell him what happened." There was a series of stubborn replies. While most of the riders only uderstood the obvious word "Nope." Hiccup rolled his eyes. He could just understand Toothless was offended by the prospect of leaving them to the point of swearing. "Come on you big baby, we'll be fine and back in a few days. I'm sure there's an exit somewhere nearby, we'll find it."

The others but Snotlout agreed, even if for Toothless it wasn't much reassurance. He could just smell something wrong in those walls.

"WAIT!" Snotlout yelled, "Does that mean we'll be going deeper inside? With no light and a creepy something lurking around? Not that I'm scared, of course, it's just that I seem to be the only prudent person in this group ,you maddies." He heard Astrid snort from somewhere on his right but, for once, ignored her. "You don't go towards the potentially dangerous sound!"

"Of course we do. We always do, Snotlout." Hiccup said, "And don't worry, we won't go without a light. We'd be bumping around all the time-"

Snotlout crossed his arms, not at all satisfied with his answer. Though, yes, it was true. They always went towards the creepy sound. But that was also why they all nearly died every time they leaved the Outpost.

Still, he sighed. At least his cousin was mentally healthy enough to rechon they couldn't be exploring the place without a flame.

"- That's why someone will have to go about these surroundings in search for materials to reignite our torch."

Of course, Snotlout always knew that, for as much remnant mental health there still was somewhere inside that coconut his cousin wore, it wasn't nearly as much as the amount of insanity and bad ideas when compared.

 **Thaaaat's about it! :) I'll try and see if I can post a little surprise later today still, then correct the errors that I know escaped my eyes. Gods, they must tons!**

 **Anywho, Goodbyyoou! XD**


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